Darwin
by PhoenixFalls
Summary: Henry has an odd nickname. Could take place in the same verse as Steps


Henry thundered down the stairs, his best friend Dylan tumbling after him as he jumped the last three steps and landed on the ground with a hard thump he could feel in his ankles.

"Do you _have_ to sound like a herd of elephants all the time?" Emily complained from the depths of the kitchen.

"Sorry mom!" Henry shouted dutifully, stopping short in the living room when Emily stuck her head out from the kitchen.

"Don't be sorry, be quiet." She said with a fond scowl. "Are you guys staying for dinner? Your mom'll be home any second."

"Nope." Henry stuck his nose in the air and took a deep breath, smelling the spiced odour of turley. "We're going to Dylan's, but save me a plate."

"Okay, well, take your jacket and be home by ten." Emily advised, waving to the boys as she went back into the kitchen.

" _Mo-om_ " Henry whined on his jog from the living room to the hall closet.

"Ten thirty." Emily called out.

"I'm sixteen!"

"Right, right, ten thirty-five then."

Henry rolled his eyes as Dylan snickered at him and grabbed his jacket. "Eleven!"

"Nine thirty!"

" _Momem_."

" _Darwin._ "

"Ten thirty-five."

"Sounds good! Don't leave your bike in the yard."

Henry darted out of the front door with a snort, almost bowling JJ over.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed, taking a step back. "Where's the fire? Hi Dylan."

"Hey Mrs. Prentiss." Dylan grinned, bounding after Henry who was waiting for him on the sidewalk. "We're going to my house."

JJ nodded and flicked her hand in a shooing motion at her son. "Be back by eleven thirty."

"Momem said ten thirty-five."

JJ rolled her eyes and shook her head, glancing over her shoulder into the house. "She _said_ eleven-thirty, _trust me_. And don't feel like you have to hurry."

" _Gross_ ma." Henry groaned.

" _Gross Darwin_." JJ singsonged in her best Bratty Henry voice before disappearing into the house and closing the door.

Henry laughed and swatted Dylan on the arm to get his attention, not wanting to know where his mind had gone since he often proclaimed Henry's mothers as 'the gold standard in hot moms.'

Dylan shrugged sheepishly at the reprimanding look his friend gave him and they started toward his house. "Darwin?" he asked after a minute of silence.

"Huh?"

"Your moms called you Darwin."

"So?"

"So your middle name is William and unless I've been wrong the last year, your first name is Henry."

The tips of Henry's ears turned red and he shrugged. "It's just a thing." Dylan looked at him skeptically and Henry shrugged again, taking off at a sprint down the street. "Race ya!"

 _Eleven Years Earlier_

Emily flopped down on the couch having successfully pout Henry to bed after two songs in English, one in Arabic, and answering a hundred and one questions. She decided five was the most exhausting age, not two, and said as much as she reached out pathetically for JJ who was on the other end of the couch. JJ laughed and complied, scooting over so she was tucked under Emily's arm and they fell into a comfortable silence until JJ tilted her head up to kiss the skin of Emily's neck, darting her tongue out briefly.

"Don't start what you can't finish." Emily advised in a mock-stern voice.

"More like don't start what _you_ can't finish." JJ corrected, noting the drop of Emily's eyelids.

"You know me so well." Emily snickered, allowing JJ to pull her up from the couch.

"That's my job." JJ stated with firm pride, keeping hold of Emily's hand and leading her upstairs. "Now let's get you into bed."

"But _now_ I'm not tired." Emily protested petulantly.

"Then let's get you into bed anyways." JJ said, tossing a wicked grin over her shoulder.

"You know me so well, darling." Emily laughed as they passed by Henry's room, halting when they heard his small voice call out to his Mom Emily which had been shortened to 'momem.'

"What's wrong, buddy?" Emily asked with concern, sitting on the edge of his bed once she and JJ went into his room.

"I have a question."

Emily turned a weary gaze onto JJ who just laughed. "One more question but then you really have to go to bed and you can ask me more tomorrow."

Henry nodded vigorously and asked; "What's a darwin?"

"A darwin?" Emily returned, perplexed.

"You called mommy one just now."

JJ giggled behind her and Emily laughed, smoothing some of Henry's hair away from his face. " _Darling_. It means I love mommy very much and she's very special to me."

Henry appeared to ponder this for only a second before asking; "Can I be your darwin too?"

"Of course, buddy."

"Even when I'm big?"

"You'll always be my Darwin, even when you're big." Emily assured him, kissing his forehead.

"You'll always be momem, even when I'm big." Henry promised back as his eyelids drooped.

"I certainly plan on it. Night Darwin."

"Night momem."


End file.
